SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN Research Unit for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia Foundation of Natural Build Environments (FNBE) English 2 [ENGL0205] STATIONERY BUSINESS GROUP MEMBERS: ALVIN TAN SHING YEOU (0314850) EUGENE PENG YAP SIANG (0315259) BENNY TAN SHOWIE (0315447) CHAN PIN QI (0314676) MACY KHOR SEEM LENG (0315208) LEE JO YEE (0314880) - More than just pencils selling -
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN Research Unit for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia
Foundation of Natural Build Environments (FNBE)
English 2 [ENGL0205]
STATIONERY
BUSINESS
GROUP MEMBERS: ALVIN TAN SHING YEOU (0314850) EUGENE PENG YAP SIANG (0315259) BENNY TAN SHOWIE (0315447) CHAN PIN QI (0314676) MACY KHOR SEEM LENG (0315208) LEE JO YEE (0314880)
- More than just pencils selling -
2 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
TN), J. L. (1966). Small business problems in urban areas. Government
Document.
16 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
APPENDICES
APPENDICES 1 : PHOTO
VISION ART
Figure 1: Front view of Vision Art stationery shop outside Sunway Pyramid shopping complex.
Figure 2: Picture of Alvin and one of the owners of Vision Art, Mr. Franky.
17 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 3: Picture of worker serving customer and recommending the product which suitable for the customer.
Figure 4: Rack of putting variety of papers at the end of the shop.
18 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 5: The other side of Vision Art, which rented to a telecommunication shop.
Figure 6: rack of Kure pen in variety of colors.
19 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 7 Kure pens and the paper for customers to try out the ink.
20 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
TEE SENG
Figure 8: Front view of Tee Seng stationery shop.
Figure 13: Picture of Macy and the owner, Tee Seng.
21 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 9: rack of pen being sold
Figure 10: Little corner, which acts as counter.
22 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 11: Two binding machine in the shop.
Figure 12: Variety of tape being hanged for easier approach.
23 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
HENG CO STATIONERY SHOP
Figure 15: Owner of the Pjs shop.
Figure 14: Side view of Pjs 7 shop.
24 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 16: Old radio being displayed at the corner of the shop.
Figure 17: Pictures of sewing machine.
25 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 18: Old cupboards which fill up the stock.
Figure 19: Place where act as guardian for their business. Figure 20: cupboard of stocking products, which lack of sale.
26 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 20: Old stuff being stacked in a messy way. Figure 21: Toy machine outside the shop to attract children.
Figure 22: Fridge selling ice cream. Figure 23: Accessories of daily stuff also being sold instead of stationery such as battery.
27 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
Figure 24: Picture of Benny and the owner.
Figure 25: Picture of Joyee and the owner.
28 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
APPENDICES 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
NAME OF THE SHOP : VISION ART
DATE : 3 /1/2014
TIME : 1.00 p.m to 2.30 p.m
INTERVIEWER : Alvin Tan & Eugene Peng
Front view of Vision Art stationery shop outside Sunway Pyramid shopping
complex.
1. When was the business founded and who are the key founders?
- Started since 1994, with 3 founders, Franky 52 years old, Winny 46 years old, James 57 years old from Singapore.
- James as the main investor, he invest the money since 20 years ago and never invest anymore, just share the profit yearly.
29 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
2. What prompted the founders to start this business? - Reason start up business, mainly to find a business which can make money, and know where to find the source. (friend introduce them a stationary supplier) 3. What are your main products? - Main product are material & stationary, mainly retailing and servicing (Photostat & binding) 4. Who are your customers? - Average of 150 customer per day 5. Can you provide us a brief history of your business and its most recent developments?
- Started with very small model with a small shop in PJS state during 1994-1997 because they targeted Saito Academic of Art College student. But move to Bandar Sunway at 1998 because they aim for a better market, The One Academy College student. Result is better and profit of business increase and bigger model.
- The customer source increase especially outsider. From 80% student vs 20%outsider increase to 50% student vs 50% outsider. Average of 50 customer increase to 150 customer per day.
6. Is the business constantly facing strong competition from other competitors? What strategies have they used to compete with you?
-Price setting is mainly by reflection of the product sales, and also customer feedback, will adjust the pricing once the certain product sales is not good (not always happen, as long as reasonable price setting strategy). Price setting is not depending on competitors.
7. How do you compete with your competitors i.e. what strategies do you employ to divert customers away from your competitors? - Strategy to stock their stock, once the product finish, boss will call the supplier, not really have fix period like order once a month, or order twice a month, its all depends on how much stock left. Will stock more if better selling product. Supplier will introduce them new product, hence no research needed.
- Main competitors are from nearby and online shops, nearby – SS15 stationary shop & Shah Alam section 2 stationary shop.
30 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
- But they don’t do much of market survey and research, never visit any stationary shop for special purpose.
8. Are your pricing decisions strongly affected by your competitors? - Strategy to stock their stock, once the product finish, boss will call the supplier, not really have fix period like order once a month, or order twice a month, its all depends on how much stock left. Will stock more if better selling product. Supplier will introduce them new product, hence no research needed.
31 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
NAME OF THE SHOP : TEE SENG STATIONERY SHOP ( Taylor’s commercial block )
DATE : 10 /1/2014
TIME : 3.00 p.m to 5.15 p.m
INTERVIEWER : Khor Seem Leng & Pinky Chan
Front view of Tee Seng stationery shop.
32 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
1. Can you provide us a brief history of your business and its most recent
developments?
- Loo Tee Seng ,the founder of this stationary shop graduated from one of the
university in UK in 1985 with a degree in economics .After he graduated ,he
travel for a few years and studying about the psychology of human beings .He
learned about the attitude of human being ,get to know more about the
mentality of society .He then work with his brother in a stationary shop
located at KL Jalan Ampang in 1996 .Back then ,it was a huge business where
their customer are mostly large cooperation company. They also did have a lot
of contract with big cooperation company ,running a big business back then.
He also did stress on the importance of strategy location of the business and
also the specialty of the business you provide to the customer .Their specialty
field was providing binding services like binding of books or magazine as
there were a lot of engineering firm around their location back then .After
working with his brother for more than 20 years ,he decided to retire from his
work and find a more relaxing work to pass his time as his daughter and son
were all grown up .In 2010 ,he meet his old friend ,Datuk Loy that is going to
launch a new Taylor campus that is Taylor University Lakeside campus .With
the connection he have with Datuk Loy ,he rented one of the shop lot in the
commercial block to start his stationary shop business .That is where his
business start to operate when Taylor’s university started three years ago. The
initial year of the business did not really progress well as not all the students
are relocated in this new campus ( Taylor Lakeside University campus
).However, for the next 2 years ,the progress of the business were establishing
because of the population of students start to increase but then competitors
start to invade in .The business were establishing quite slowly due to the space
of the shop and the increase rate of competitors.
2. Do you have many competitors? Who are they? Who are your top 3
competitors?
- Yes ,the shop besides his shop selling a few kind of stationary products ,the
library and the shop near Student life center .All of them are doing quite
similar business such as providing binding and printing services .
33 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
3. Is the business constantly facing strong competition from other
competitors? What strategies have they used to compete with you?
- Yes , lower pricing ,conveniency ( library –improve their facilities by having
dropbox for smartphones )
4. How much capital is required to start this business? What, if any,
specialized field of knowledge do you need to run this business?
- RM 150,000. According to Mr. Loo, do not need any specific knowledge to run
his business. Only thing need to know about is where to get the suppliers and
some basic knowledge to the machine being used. Previously, in his young age, he
had been practicing the binding book service when he was operating his old
stationary shop beside KLCC where there’s lots of engineering firm at the area.
Besides, knowledge of managing human resources is very essential in running
this business. Worker being trained and left the shop happened very common in
Tee Sheng shop. As it is a less challenging job, people tend to leave while they
have gained certain basic knowledge on how to manage the printing machine.
5. Generally, do you feel it is easy or hard to enter this market? Why?
- It is hard to enter this market because the competition out there is much more
stronger than imagined. One cannot stand still in this business if they are not
competitive enough.
6. How do you compete with your competitors i.e. what strategies do you
employ to divert customers away from your competitors?
- Actually, in the state of just want to settle down and passing time through
retirement, there are no strategies being used to divert customers away from the
competitors. Customers have the right to choose where they prefer. However,
because of its location is at the commercial block, people tend to buy things there.
Therefore, the location will be their only strategy to attract people. However,
34 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
some who are studying at the academic block will find it inconvenient to buy
things there.
7. How often do you release a new product (this assumes the business sells
differentiated products)?
- Once or twice a year will introduce new products. He tried his best in introducing
variety of products in order to increase the business performance and keep them
updated.
8. Are your pricing decisions strongly affected by your competitors?
The competitors do not affect the pricing decision here. It is the rental who affect. The
price will be higher compare to the competitors as cost used for the rental and
maintenance of machine is high. As the owner does not care about how much he
earned, it is oaky for students to choose others rather than him.
35 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
NAME OF THE SHOP : HENG CO STATIONERY SHOP
DATE : 8 /1/2014
TIME : 1.00 p.m to 2.30 p.m
INTERVIEWER : Benny Tan & Lee Jo Yee
Side view of Heng Co stationery shop .
1. When was the business founded and who are the key founders?
- Started since 1960, with founders, Khor Sai Ngoh
- British boss of tin mining as the main sponsor, he sponsor the money for the shop opening to the founder.
2. What prompted the founders to start this business? - Reason start up business, mainly is asked by the British boss of tin mining to give benefit, advantage and convenient to the villagers at that time.
36 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
3. What are your main products? - Main products are thread, stationary, rope, hardware (stop selling) 4. Who are your customers? - Mainly are student from primary and secondary school nearby the shop in the residential area. 5. Can you provide us a brief history of your business and its most recent developments?
- 1960s, Khor Sai Ngoh started business at sungai wang tin mining by the sponsor of British boss of the tin mining. The target customer is the villagers from the area. Her husband and son continue her business after 3 years. 1990s, moved to Pjs 7 because the government want to demolish the previous place to build double story houses. The business revenue decrease day by day and now only maintain the shop operation, not for earning.
- The customer source is 90% come from the nearby primary and secondary school due to the cheap pricing, 10% come from the resident nearby.
6. Is the business constantly facing strong competition from other competitors? What strategies have they used to compete with you?
-No, price setting is mainly cheaper compare to others shop since the owner just want to maintain the shop
- Main competitors are from a nearby stationary shop.
7. Are your pricing decisions strongly affected by your competitors? - Not really, just maintain the cheap and reasonable pricing
37 | P a g e Stationery Business: more than pencils selling
APPENDICES 3: THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE 3